Award-winning Russian-American violinist Igor Pikayzen is confidently establishing himself as one of the most prodigious and in-demand soloists of his generation. Praised on four continents by critics and audiences alike for his “astounding technical ability and a majestically lush tone…the stylish Igor Pikayzen” (Strad) is “surely at the forefront of a major musical career” (Moscow Times).
2025 saw the release of Igor Pikayzen’s recording of works by Glazunov and Tchaikovsky with the London Philharmonic Orchestra for Warner Music, as well as a CD of violin-piano fantasies with longtime collaborator, Tatyana Pikayzen. Upcoming and recent appearances include debuts and re-engagements with Sinfonia Toronto, Antalya Symphony, Russian State Symphony Orchestra, Istanbul Symphony, Sinfonica Nacional de Chile, Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra, Orquesta Sinfonica de Xalapa, National Symphony of Georgia, Izmir Symphony, La Crosse Symphony amongst others. An avid recitalist, Mr. Pikayzen’s season includes debut recitals and return appearances at the Dame Myra Hess series in Chicago, the Gina Bachauer series in Salt Lake City, New York’s Bargemusic, Celebrated Artist Series in Baltimore and Denver.
Previous solo appearances include the Russian State Symphony Orchestra, Moscow Radio Symphony, Bucharest Philharmonic,National Symphony Orchestra of Georgia, Filharmonica di Bacau, Orquesta Sinfonica del Estado de Mexico, Bialystok Philharmonic, Stamford Symphony, Czestochowa Philharmonic, Izmir Symphony, Ridgefield Symphony, Tbilisi Opera Orchestra, Yokohama Sinfonietta, Kielce Philharmonic and countless others under the batons of Lior Shambadal, Łukasz Borowicz, Brett Mitchell, Gürer Aykal, Toshi Shimada, Antonio Pirolli, Daniel Huppert, Hobart Earle, Jerzy Salwarovski, Roman Revueltas, Nurhan Arman, Thomas Rösner, Vakhtang Matchavariani, Christopher Lyndon-Gee, Alexander Platt and Emil Tabakov. Mr. Pikayzen has appeared as soloist in Carnegie Hall and Alice Tully Hall in New York City, Tchaikovsky Hall and Minor Hall in Moscow, Teatro Llago in Frutillar, Congreso Nacional in Santiago, Toronto Performing Arts Center in Toronto, Hitachi
Hall in Sendai, President Hall in Ankara, Flagey in Brussels, Gates Performing Arts Center in Denver, L’Auditori in Barcelona, Le Bourget in Montreal, Centro Nacional de las Artes in Mexico City, Cadogan Hall and Henry Wood Hall in London, to name just a few. A frequent guest at some of the most prestigious chamber music festivals and series in the world, Pikayzen regularly appears at Verbier Festival and Rondo Festival in Switzerland, “Ohrid Summer” Festival in Macedonia, Napa Valley Festival and Festival Mozaic in California, Soloist Academy in Ferney-Voltaire in France, Semanas Musicales de Frutillar in Chile, Alion Baltic Festival in Latvia, Night Serenades Festival in Georgia and many more.
A sought-after recording artist, in addition to his debut recording for Warner Music this year, Mr. Pikayzen’s playing can be heard on most of the major recording labels of today, including Orchid Classics, Sony, Pentatone, Navona/Naxos, Melodia, Toccata Classics, Parma and many video recordings for ViolinChannel and ToneBase Violin.
Grandson of the legendary Soviet violinist Viktor Pikayzen, Igor Pikayzen was born in Moscow, Russia. After receiving his Bachelor’s Degree from Juilliard, as well as a Master’s Degree and Artist Diploma from the Yale School of Music, he was the recipient of the coveted Enhanced Chancellor Fellowship while working on his DMA at the CUNY Graduate Center where he was also on the faculty of Brooklyn Conservatory. Pikayzen is the 1st prize winner of the 2015 Edition of the International Violin Competition Luis Sigall in Viña del Mar, Chile as well as the Wronski International Violin Competition in Warsaw, in addition to being a silver medalist at the Szeryng and Kloster-Schöntal international violin competitions. A Violin Channel Artist, Mr. Pikayzen shares his time between New York and Denver. He is currently Associate Professor of Violin at the Lamont School of Music at the University of Denver and Artistic Director of Festival Edelio in Westport, CT and Soloist Academy in Tivat, Montenegro.